Tag: left

All detainees to be released, except Sharqawi and Sha3er

I was just on the phone with Ahmad Seif al-Islam, director of the Hisham Mubarak Law Center and father of detained blogger 3alaa. He said all remaining non-Muslim Brothers detainees, around 20 Kefaya activists are to be released– including Kamal Khalil, Gamal 3abdel Fattah, Wael Khalil, Ibrahim el-Sahary–by a unexpected order from the State Security Prosecutor today.
Karim el-Sha3er and Mohamed el-Sharqawi were given another 15 days in prison, however. They, together with 3alaa el-Kashef (an activist from 3arish), had been the only activists referred today to the State Security Prosecutor, who decided only to release the latter, and renew the detention of the first two. The rest of the activists are to be released directly, sometime tomorrow from Luman Tora and Mazra3et Tora prisons.

MABROUK YA SHABAB!

3alaa Seif al-Islam, whose release was ordered yesterday, is still in Tora Prison as of the moment. His friends have expressed concern his release could be further stalled, but hoped he would be freed tomorrow. 3alaa has been blogging from his prison cell. His last posting was about “Kambuzz,” a “criminal” who was moved to their cell, as part of the “punishment” to the political detainees for hunger-striking. 3alaa wrote it seems the prison authorities’ policy has been bringing opposite results, with the “criminals” getting politicized and joining the dissidents’ cause.
And, we should not forget there are around 700 detainees from the Muslim Brotherhood still in prison, after being picked up in pro-democracy demos, from their homes, or summer camps. We all hope their release will follow soon. Continue reading All detainees to be released, except Sharqawi and Sha3er

3alaa to be released!!

State security prosecutor ordered today the release of detained leftist blogger 3alaa Seif al-Islam, who’s been locked up in Tora Prison since 7 May. 3alaa’s actual release, however, isn’t expected to happen before sometime tomorrow or Thursday, because of the notorious red-tape and paper-work his lawyers have to go through.

Mabrouk ya 3alaa! Mabrouk ya Manal!! Continue reading 3alaa to be released!!

Sacked activist finally gets his pay cheque

Ahmad el-Droubi woke up in the morning to a postman knocking on his door. When he opened the letter, it was nothing but a sweet cheque from his former employer that had his unpaid salary and consultancy fees.The cheque Droubi received this morning signifies two things: First, it is an implicit acknowledgement from his company that he was unjustly dismissed. Second, it shows campaigning does work! Yes, Droubi wouldn’t have gotten back part of his rights, if it was not for you dear readers.
On behalf of Droubi, I want to thank everyone who expressed their solidarity and support, and for all those who took the time to write the company management protesting the activist’s dismissal. The fight is NOT over though, as there are still unsettled issues here. One: The dismissal is still unjust, and our friend is still unemployed. Two: We still need a financial compensation for this unjust dismissal. So please dear readers, keep those emails to the management coming, till they do the right thing.

Mabrouk ya Droubster.. We hope we’ll hear more good news soon.

Ahmad Nabil el-Hilaly passes away

Veteran Marxist lawyer Ahmad Nabil el-Hilaly, died this morning of kidney failure in El-Salam Hospital, in Ma3adi, Cairo, only 11 days after his life-long friend and comrade Youssef Darwish passed away.
Born in 1928, the son of a landowning pasha who was the last Prime Minister of Egypt before the 1952 coup, Hilaly, a.k.a. Comrade Beshir, gave up his wealth and land, living instead a poor humble life, dedicating his career to defending peasants, workers, and the poor in Egypt and the Arab World. After helping revive the Egyptian Communist Party in 1975, Hilaly led a split in the late 1980s, cofounding with Darwish, the People’s Socialist Party.
Hilaly headed the legal defense team during the Revolutionary Socialists’ trial in 2004. Here’s his opening statement in court.
Hilaly’s funeral will take place tomorrow Monday noon, in front of 3omar Makram mosque in Tahrir Sq. His family and friends will mourn his death and receive condolences, Tuesday evening, at el-Hamdiya el-Shazliya mosque in Giza. Continue reading Ahmad Nabil el-Hilaly passes away

Three detainees released

State Security prosecutor ordered today the release of three pro-democracy detainees: Ahmad Maher, 3adel Fawzi Tawfeeq el-Gazzar, and Yasser Isma3il Zakki.
Also, following a protest by activists in front of the Public Prosecutor’s office last Thursday, General Isma3il el-Sha3er, the Cairo Security Director, reportedly sent an enquiry to the prison authorities about Mohamed el-Sharqawi‘s critical health condition. Sharqawi was transferred today to the Luman Tora Prison hospital at 9am, where he was told that his X-rays, taken on May 28, were “lost” (sic). The doctor took new X-rays of him, and sent Sharqawi, still complaining from chest pains, back to his cell, without treatment or medication.

Sharqawi’s ordeal continues…

Youth for Change activist, Mohamed el-Sharqawi sent a new letter from Mahkoum Tora Prison, cell no. 1-B, dated 12 June, complaining of medical negligence. The State Security Prosecutor had decided earlier last week to allow him treatment at El-Manyal University Hospital outside prison. Apparently this all turned out to be a farce. Here are excerpts from Sharqawi’s letter: Continue reading Sharqawi’s ordeal continues…

Support fired activist

Pro-democracy activist Ahmad El Droubi is to take legal action against his company, after he was dismissed for his political activism. Droubi had sent a letter of complaint to his management protesting his unfair dismissal, but as of the moment, WorleyParsons Komex has NOT replied. Droubi has joined the ranks of the ever-growing army of unemployed Egyptians.
Please express your solidarity with pro-democracy activist Droubi, and email the following message to his company directors. Continue reading Support fired activist

Released detainee fired from his job

I received a message from Kefaya activist Ahmad el-Droubi—who was detained by State Security police on April 24, then taken to Tora Prison for 33 days—saying he was fired from his job, as an ecologist with WorleyParsons Komex. The decision, according to Droubi, was taken by the Egyptian manager of the multinational’s office in Cairo.
Here are excerpts from Droubi’s letter sent to the firm’s senior management in London, dated June 8, 2006: Continue reading Released detainee fired from his job

Inverting the flag

An interesting phenomenon indeed… The Egyptian bloggers are circulating inverted Egyptian flags on their websites and mailing lists.

The initiative was launched, it seems, shortly before the May 25 pro-judges demo, but it’s picking up now. Several blogs have posted the picture including:

-Wael 3abbass put the inverted flag on his front page of this week’s issue of MisrDigital, with a caption: “Yes, we’ve inverted the flag, because the country is in a catastrophe. We will not correct it, till the country itself is corrected.â€� Continue reading Inverting the flag